These words
by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies
Summary: Mini-sequel to Shadows. Elphaba and Fiyero's wedding day arrives, and Elphaba realises she can finally let go of her past and love again. Oneshot. Lots of fluffy Fiyeraba.


**AN: Hi everyone!**

**So, when Shadows was over, Fae the Queen and Stefy both requested a wedding epilogue; and a few days ago, this suddenly popped into my head and so I decided to write it. It's all wedding and friendship fluff - as many of you know, I wasn't feeling too well, and fluff always helps ^_^.**

**Also, do you guys remember the song I had Elphaba and Fiyero sing in Shadows? Everytime We Touch by Cascada (the slow version)? Well, I told you back then that I was going to teach myself to play it on the piano, and I did; and today, my sister and I (she sang it) performed it at the party my parents were having for their 25th anniversary. It was really awesome, and my Mom cried, so I'm guessing she liked it :).**

**Disclaimer: Wicked isn't mine, never was, and probably never will be.**

* * *

'Glin-da.' Fiyero gritted his teeth. '_Let. Me. Through._'

'No way,' the petite blonde declared firmly, planting her hands on her hips and standing her ground, glaring at the prince rather impressively for a tiny pink cupcake. 'Fiyero, you _know _it's bad luck to see the bride on your wedding day before the actual wedding. I will _not _stand here and allow you to curse your marriage with Elphaba before it's even started.'

Fiyero rolled his eyes. 'Glin, that's just superstition!' he protested, but his blonde friend didn't budge. 'The answer is no, Fiyero. You're going to have to murder me first.'

'Well, desperate times call for desperate measures,' he said slowly, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and Glinda gasped. 'You wouldn't!'

He only gave her a lopsided grin and she scowled and pushed him away. 'Nice try, Tiggular. But I'm not giving in.'

His face fell, and she felt a little bad for him. 'She's fine, though,' she hurried to reassure him. 'Really. She's a little nervous, but she's excited and she's going to look absolutely amazing in her wedding dress, which she's not actually wearing yet, because I had to make sure her hair and make-up were right first, but she _already _looks amazing and the dress is just _gorgeous_…'

'Isn't the superstition about the groom seeing the bride in her _wedding dress _before the ceremony?' he asked hopefully. 'So if she's not wearing her dress yet, doesn't that mean-'

'Fiyero Tiggular,' Glinda growled. 'I suggest you leave right this instant unless you want a stiletto heel in your eye.'

'But-'

Glinda reached down to actually remove one silver-coloured and very high heel from her left foot and brought it up to Fiyero's face threateningly. 'Three. Two…'

'Glinda, please!'

'Fifi,' she mimicked him. 'It's bad luck!'

'Glinda.' He looked at her pleadingly. 'It's our wedding day.'

'My point exactly,' she retorted drily, but he didn't pull a muscle. 'It's also the day of her mother's death, eleven years ago.'

Glinda faltered.

'And I trust you,' he continued. 'If you say she's okay, I believe you; and if she weren't, I know you would take great care of her… but within a few hours, she's going to be my wife. I just need to see for myself how she's doing.'

Glinda still hesitated, so he added a pleading, 'Please?' and she caved.

'Fine, then,' she sighed. 'But if you bring bad luck upon the both of you, don't look at me.'

He grinned at her, relieved. 'I will take all the blame,' he promised, before moving past her and dashing through the hallway and inside Elphaba's old bedroom.

When she had suggested it, he had immediately agreed to have their wedding in Munchkinland – in the gardens of the Governor's mansion, to be exact. He knew that despite the fact that it wasn't her home anymore, it still held many memories; and since it was also the place where he had proposed, and the place where she had told him she loved him for the first time, he had found it a nice sentiment. The new Governor of Munchkinland, who was an old acquaintance of Frex's – and thus also of Elphaba's – had given his consent almost immediately and Glinda had happily started planning things, only to be firmly held back by Elphaba, as well as by Amaia and Lori.

Elphaba had quickly warmed up to Fiyero's parents, and they absolutely adored her in return – if only for making their son think. Lori and Hamold had invited Boq and Amaia to spend Lurlinemas in the Vinkus, which they had gracefully accepted; and of course they had stayed in touch through letters, since Elphaba, Fiyero, Glinda, and Cohvu all went back to Shiz.

They had put a lot of thought into that. They had, of course, been at Fortae University before they had left, but Elphaba didn't want to go back there because of all the memories that haunted the place – namely the Shadows appearing on campus and murdering the students. Glinda had agreed with her and Fiyero, of course, had no intent whatsoever to let Elphaba go to a university he wouldn't be attending himself, and so the three of them had agreed on Shiz, since Morrible was gone now and it was still a very prestigious university.

Cohvu had taken some more convincing on Glinda's and Elphaba's, as well as Fiyero's, part, but he had finally consented to let Glinda's and Fiyero's parents contribute to his tuition money, allowing him to come to Shiz with his friends as well.

It hadn't all been easy. Especially at the end of the summer, when the day arrived when it had been a year since Elphaba had found Frex murdered in his bed; and not even a few weeks ago, when it had been one year since their confrontation with the Wizard and Nessa's subsequent death. Amaia had suggested they come to Munchkinland a few days before the date arrived, an advice they had taken to heart. It had been an emotional day, but Elphaba had been happy to be together with the ones she loved – not just Fiyero and his family, and Glinda and Cohvu, but Boq and Amaia as well.

And now the day of her mother's death had arrived, which would also be her wedding day. As enthusiastic as Fiyero had been about the location, he had to admit he hadn't exactly jumped when she had suggested this as their wedding date.

'Fiyero…' She had paused, trying to think of how best to explain this to him. 'We've been through so much,' she said finally. 'Together. And I get that you want this day to be about us… but I don't want it to be _just _about us. I want it to be about us and the people we love, friends and family, those who are still with us and those who aren't.'

She had looked up at him with her huge dark brown eyes, and he had found himself enchanted by them once again. 'Sometimes I feel like my entire life, I've been grieving,' she'd confessed. 'Until I met you. And… I don't want that anymore. I'm not saying I want to forget them, because I don't want to and I could never do that, but I don't want everything I have lost to dictate my life anymore.'

She had paused for a moment. 'It just seems like… an appropriate ending,' she had said quietly. 'After everything that's happened, I want to leave it all behind me and just… start our life together. And this way… I'll feel close to them, even closer than usual… but it's also a way for me to let it all go and move on with my life. To… to get closure, in a way. I'm not making any sense, am I?' she asked with a small, nervous laugh, and he had pulled her into his arms and kissed her. 'You are making perfect sense, _a chroí_,' he had told her. 'April twenty-third it is. And we're going to make it special,' he promised her.

She had just smiled and leaned into him, arms encircling his waist. 'As long as you're there, it will always be special.'

And thus their wedding date had been decided on.

And now here he was, standing in the doorway of Elphaba's old bedroom, where the green girl was sitting at her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror. When she caught sight of him, she instantly whipped around and a beaming smile lit up her face. 'Yero!'

'Just wanted to check on my _croí eile_,' he said with a smile, and she rose to her feet and leaned up to kiss him. 'Who won't be your _croí eile _for much longer now,' she said significantly.

He grinned at her. 'True. But,' he said, drawing her into his arms and kissing the top of her head, 'no matter how much I enjoyed calling you that, and no matter how much it suits you… I think I prefer calling you my wife.'

She melted into his arms, pressing her cheek against his chest where she could hear his heart beating, and she smiled. 'Within now and a few hours,' she said softly, 'you can.'

He pulled away a little to look down into her eyes. 'And I am so happy about that,' he told her gravely, at which her smile broadened and she kissed him. 'I love you, Yero my hero.'

'I love you, too, _a chroí_.' He took her hand and spun her around, actually succeeding in making her giggle. He grinned. 'And you look absolutely stunning.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Yero, I'm not even wearing-'

'Doesn't matter,' he cut her off immediately. He took both her hands in his. 'Fae, you would look stunning if you would marry me in a burlap sack.'

That only made her roll her eyes again. 'Let's not try that, shall we?' she said drily. Then she grinned wickedly at him. 'Or perhaps I _should _come out in a burlap sack, just so that I can see your face.'

He laughed at that, but just then, Glinda came stomping into the room, glaring at them both. 'Don't you _dare_, Elphie,' she told her friend sternly. Then she quirked an eyebrow at Fiyero. 'Time to go.'

He frowned, and she scowled at him. 'Fiyero, this is your _wedding_. I already broke all the rules by letting you see Elphie before the ceremony…'

'Oh, yes, and Lurline forbid I brought bad luck upon our marriage,' Fiyero said sarcastically, which just earned him another glare. 'And now,' she continued through clenched teeth, 'you need to _go_, Fiyero, to finish getting ready yourself, but especially so that _I _can finish getting Elphie ready, because if you don't leave now, she's going to be late for the ceremony, and that would be absolutely _dreadifying_.'

'Oh, my,' Elphaba said drily, mocking her friend. 'Do you hear that, Yero? _Dreadifying_, she says. We don't want that, now do we?' She looked at Galinda pointedly. 'Glin, how many more times do I have to tell you that 'dreadifying' is not a word?'

Fiyero sniggered. Glinda stomped her feet. 'I'm serious!' she wailed.

'Just one more minute, Glin,' Fiyero promised the blonde, and she sighed, then gave in. 'I'm counting!' she called over her shoulder as she left the room.

Fiyero looked back at his fiancée. 'So, how are you?' he asked her softly. 'For real?'

She paused for a moment, considering her answer to that. Finally, she said, surprised herself, 'You know what? I'm… good. Really, I am.'

She stepped outside onto the balcony and leaned her arms onto it, watching everyone in the gardens below her busying themselves with the final preparations for the ceremony. 'I think… I'm really glad you agreed to have the wedding here,' she said, turning to face him again. 'And to have it today. It means a lot to me.'

He moved to stand at the balustrade with her, following her gaze down. 'But?'

She shook her head. 'No 'but'. I'm just… really happy,' she admitted. 'I miss them, of course I do, but I don't feel like I want to curl up in a corner and cry anymore. I feel… kind of relieved. Almost free. It's a little like I told you last year when you found me sleeping on Mom's grave – they're on my mind, all the time, but I can also, in a way, let them go now and look forward, to the future. My future. _Our _future,' she corrected herself, which made his heart soar.

She looked up at him with a sad smile. 'I just wish they could be here today.'

He wrapped his arms around her again, looking into her chocolate eyes. 'They are here,' he promised her quietly. 'You can't see them, or hear them, or speak with them, but they're here. I'm sure of that.'

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. 'I know.'

She gave his hand one last squeeze, then pulled away. 'Now I think it would be best if you left,' she told him seriously. 'I don't want to remember my wedding day as the day Glinda had a stroke because the bride was too late for the ceremony.'

He chuckled. 'You're right.' He kissed her again. 'I'll see you in a bit, _a chiste_.'

The moment he had left, Glinda came back, looking annoyed. '_Finally_. Now, come on, Elphie – let's finish your hair and make-up and put you in that dress!'

* * *

Fiyero finished getting ready, then moved to the gardens, where he took his place next to Cohvu, who was his best man. Hamold and Lori were there, of course, as was Amaia; and the vicar was there to perform the wedding, but both he and Elphaba had been surprised at how many Munchkins from the nearby village had come over to attend the wedding. The baker and his wife were there, as well as many other people who had watched Elphaba grow up over the years. It made sense, though, Fiyero had to admit. He knew that the entire village had known Elphaba, how many times she had ventured into the village to play with Boq when she was little, how she had always proudly showed off her younger sister, and how obviously she had adored her parents. He had heard the stories, and so he had been even less surprised than Elphaba herself, who had been convinced that no one would come.

'No matter how hard that is for you to understand, they love you, Fae,' he had told her. 'And now even more, with your entire family gone, they feel the need to be here. Remember how many of them turned up at Nessa's funeral last year? They care. So let them.'

There were also some high Vinkun officials attending the wedding, who, though surprised at the unusual location for the wedding of the Vinkun Crown Prince, had not protested and had all come over for the ceremony.

Glinda was, of course, Elphaba's maid of honour; and as she came out in her pale blue dress, carrying her bouquet and beaming like _she _was the one getting married, Fiyero couldn't help but grin.

Cohvu, next to him, looked about ready to faint, and Fiyero elbowed his friend in the stomach. 'Close your mouth and blink, dude, or something will fly into your mouth and your eyes will fall out.'

Cohvu just scowled at his friend. 'Shut up, Yero.' But then he caught sight of something else down the aisle and his face assumed that same stunned look again.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. 'Co-' But then his eyes snapped up to follow Cohvu's gaze, and any coherent thought was wiped from his mind.

Boq was walking Elphaba down the aisle, something they had decided on not too long ago. Elphaba didn't have a father to give her away, but she and Boq had always shared a special brother-sister friendship; and when he had offered to do this for her, she had gracefully accepted.

But even though Fiyero thought it was sweet of the Munchkin boy to do this for his old childhood friend, Boq Parlone was really the last thing on the prince's mind right now.

Elphaba was wearing a cream-coloured dress which was strapless, elegant, and simple. The bodice hugged her forms and the skirt fanned out from her hips down, with a thin layer of tulle covering it. The bodice was adorned with tiny sparkling stones, and she was wearing matching shoes.

Glinda had insisted on her friend wearing 'something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue', and so Elphaba had obediently let her friend decide on what those things should be. The shoes were borrowed from Glinda herself, who had started squealing in enthusiasm when she had realised she owned a pair of shoes in the 'exact same shade of cream!' as Elphaba's dress. Elphaba was wearing a diamond necklace that she had found in the mansion after Nessa's death and that had once been her mother's, which would count as something old. The dress, obviously, was new, and the blue… well, Fiyero would find out about the blue when they would be alone that night, as Glinda had put it so smugly.

Glinda had kept her friend's make-up simple, just some mascara and eye shadow to make her already large brown eyes look even bigger, and a small layer of shining lip gloss. Elphaba's hair had been curled and pinned back, so that the ebony curls were flowing down her left shoulder, some loose tendrils framing her face, and there were creamy white flowers woven through her hair. She looked more beautiful than Fiyero had ever seen her, and that was saying something, since he genuinely thought she was beautiful even when she looked her worst.

She smiled a bit shyly at him as she came closer, and he was vaguely aware of the goofy grin that spread across his face as he watched her, but he didn't care. He was jolted from his trance when Cohvu elbowed him in the stomach rather harshly. 'Yero, breathe.'

Breathe. How in Oz had he ever known how to breathe? Because honestly, right now, he didn't have the faintest clue.

Elphaba reached him then, and she turned towards Boq, hugging him tightly instead of giving him the traditional kiss on the cheek. When she pulled back, she looked at him. 'Thank you,' she said. 'For everything.'

He just smiled and squeezed her hand in reply, before taking his place next to his mother. Elphaba turned back and slipped her hand into Fiyero's. Much to her astonishment, she found that there were already tears swimming inside his sapphire blue eyes. 'Yero?'

'I'm sorry,' he said quietly, so that only she could hear. He squeezed her hand. 'I'm just…' He trailed off.

'At loss for words?' she teased him gently, and he grinned at her. 'Something like that.' He squeezed her hand again. 'You look so, so beautiful, Fae,' he told her solemnly. 'And I am so proud that I can call you mine within a few minutes.'

She shook her head, laying her free hand against his cheek for a moment. 'You're wrong,' she whispered, feeling tears of her own stinging her eyes now – much to her annoyance. 'I was always yours.'

He looked like he wanted to kiss her senseless right there on the spot, but just then, the vicar cleared his throat, and both of them hurriedly turned to face the man once more.

'Dearly beloved,' he began. 'We are gathered here today…'

For Fiyero, the ceremony progressed way too slowly; and honestly, he didn't hear much of it up until the point where they had to speak their vows. He was completely entranced by the woman standing next to him – the woman that would be his wife soon.

'Fae,' he said, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. 'You were the girl of my dreams before I even met you in real life – and I mean that in the literal sense.'

She chuckled softly, and those present who knew about Elphaba and Fiyero's shared dreams all smiled.

'When I first met you, I somehow _knew _that I had to win your trust and keep you safe,' he continued. 'I didn't know why, or how; I just knew I had to do it. And I tried. And along the way, I discovered why exactly I had to do it, namely because you are the most amazing person alive in this world, the most beautiful and the most caring, the bravest and the smartest. Because you are the love of my life, the one person that changed me and made me _think_… something, some_one _worth fighting for. I discovered who you really are – how passionate you are about everything, how wonderful, how loving, how loyal… how brave, in every aspect of your life – from facing life-threatening dangers to facing your own feelings. I have never been this proud in my entire life, Fae, and I can only promise you that I will love you forever and hope that that will be enough to keep you with me the rest of my life.'

She took a deep breath, squeezing his hands. Then she looked up into his eyes. 'I could say so many things right now,' she said softly. 'About how I knew all along that we were meant for each other, the dreams, my Mom… but the truth was, I was never sure. Not until I actually met you, and it just felt… right.'

She looked down at their joined hands. 'Never could I have imagined someone loving me the way you do,' she confessed. 'And it was terrifying. I didn't think I could do it. But you forced your way into my heart, you made me feel again, you made me _love _again… and no matter how much it scared me, after a while I just realised that… that I couldn't let you go. Not ever. Because you and me, we… we belong together. I believe that now, because throughout everything that happened, everything we've been through… you were there to help me and to pull me through. And I promise,' she added, meeting his gaze again to convey how important this final part was, because she knew that despite everything, it was still one of his major fears.

'I promise I won't run away or leave you,' she said softly. '_Ever _again.'

He smiled, and she only realised she was crying herself when he reached up to gently wipe the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. 'I love you,' he whispered, and she caught his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together.

'By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife,' the vicar told them. 'You may kiss the bride.'

Elphaba slipped her arms around his neck and he placed his hands on her waist, drawing her closer. She closed her eyes and he kissed her, softly, slowly, but soon pressing down more firmly, leaving her breathless when he finally pulled away.

Her eyes slowly opened again and he was gazing down at her, his grin could compete with the sun, and she returned it with a wide smile of her own as they turned to face the guests together. They were all clapping and cheering, as Glinda sobbed into Cohvu's shoulder because 'That was so adorable!'.

The reception was held in the Governor's mansion, and Lori, Glinda, and Amaia had taken care of everything together. The place was beautifully decorated and the food was delicious, but the truth was that even the food couldn't keep Fiyero away from his _wife _for long now.

'Yero,' Cohvu said in amazement after a while. 'I don't think I have ever seen you in the presence of so much food, while actually _eating_ so little of it.'

Fiyero grinned at him. Glinda giggled. Elphaba just rolled her eyes.

After the reception, most people left; the Munchkins back to their homes, the Vinkuns back to the hotels they were staying in. The new Governor and his family would spend the night at this sister's home, so that Elphaba and Fiyero could have their wedding night at the Governor's mansion in privacy. Tomorrow morning, the newly wedded couple would leave for their honeymoon - a three-week trip through Munchkinland, the Emerald City and Gillikin. They would end the trip at Shiz, where they would spend the rest of the school year, before travelling back to the Vinkus for the summer. Hamold and Lori had arranged everything with the new Headmaster, who had understood the situation and had found it no problem that Elphaba and Fiyero would miss a month of school, as long as they made sure to catch up and pass their final exams of the year.

Glinda kissed Elphaba's cheek. 'Today was perfect, Elphie,' she beamed, hugging her friend tightly. 'And I'm really happy to see you this happy. I love you.'

Elphaba laughed and hugged her friend back. 'Love you too, Glin.'

Glinda pulled away, and Elphaba was a little unnerved to find the blonde's eyes filled with tears. 'Glinda?'

The girl sniffled. Then she threw her arms around Elphaba again. 'You said you loved me!' she wailed. 'You've never said that to me before!'

Elphaba realised that her friend was right. The first time she'd said it again had been to Nessa, right before she had died; and after that, she had finally told Fiyero – multiple times by now. But she'd never said it to anyone else… until now.

'Yes, well, it's true,' she said now, hugging Glinda again tightly. 'I love you, Glin. You're as much of a sister to me as… as Nessa was, and you're wonderful.'

At that, Glinda started crying so loudly that Cohvu came in, slightly alarmed. 'What in Oz is going on?'

'E-Elphie… said she… she loves me!' Glinda sobbed, and Cohvu chuckled softly, pulling the blonde away from Elphaba and folding her into his own arms. 'Ssh, honey, it's okay. Stop crying.'

Still holding Glinda, he awkwardly tried to hug Elphaba with his other arm. 'For what it's worth, Em: I love you, too,' he said seriously. 'I mean, in a non-creepy and non-romantic way,' he added quickly, 'because otherwise Glinda would beat me to death with her high heels, but like… like in a brother-sister kind of way.' He kissed her cheek. 'And you looked really beautiful today.'

Elphaba let out a laugh that sounded slightly choked, because by now she was holding back tears of her own. 'Well, while we're on it,' she said drily, 'I love you, too, Cohvu. In a non-creepy and non-romantic way.'

He grinned at her, and when Fiyero came in not a minute later to find his three friends all hugging, and one of them still sobbing, he stilled in the doorway, not sure what to think. 'Is there something I should know about?'

Glinda raised her head, and Fiyero bit back a grin upon seeing that her make-up was smeared all over her face. 'Just that Elphie loves us!' she sniffled, and Elphaba rolled her eyes, but was still smiling.

Fiyero's face softened and he, too, smiled, realising how much this meant for both Glinda and Cohvu, and how it was yet another big step for Elphaba. He came closer and hugged them all as well. 'Group hug!'

'Dude,' Cohvu said in a strangled voice. 'Some of us need oxygen.'

Fiyero grinned, but let go, and watched as Glinda and Cohvu said their goodbyes to Elphaba before leaving the room and the house. Then he wrapped his arms around his wife from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. 'Did you enjoy today?'

She leaned back against him, turning her head to look at him. 'I did,' she told him, and he grinned at her, then scooped her up into his arms bridal style. 'Well, Mrs. Tiggular, shall we go to bed?'

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. 'I love you.'

Those words never failed to make his heart flutter, and he kissed her back. 'I love you, too, _a chroí_.' He carried her over to the bedroom, then sat her down onto the edge of the bed an closed the door. She started removing the pins from her hair and he looked at her. 'Did you mean that?' he asked her, still slightly anxious. 'I mean… did you really have a good day? Wasn't it too crowded or too busy for you?'

'It's been a long day,' she admitted, and his face fell slightly. He knew she still didn't feel comfortable around too many other people, but he had hoped today would still be amazing for her.

Upon seeing the look on his face, she rose to her feet and cupped his face with both hands. 'But it wasn't nearly long enough,' she added.

He looked up at her, and she smiled. 'Yero, I know you wanted today to be wonderful for me… and it was,' she promised him. She kissed him softly. 'It was the best day of my life.'

'Really?' he asked her, still uncertain, and she kissed him again, deepening the kiss this time and only pulling away when she needed to breathe. 'Really. I love you, Yero my hero.'

He scooped her up into his arms again and laid her down on the bed, kissing her. 'Well, it's a good thing today isn't over yet then, isn't it?' he asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

She smiled at him rather impishly. 'Thank Oz it's not,' she murmured, relaxing beneath him as he kissed her neck and then her lips again.

He pulled away to look at her. 'Are you sure about this?' he asked. 'I mean, I know it's our wedding night, but we could wait if we wanted to and-'

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down towards her until their noses were touching. 'Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?' she asked.

His only response was to grin and kiss her lovingly.


End file.
